The Arabic Alphabet: Arabic Letter Noon (ن)
Today’s letter is the 25th in the Arabic alphabet. It’s the letter Noon ن, one of the most beginner-friendly letters, as it shows up in so many familiar Arabic words, such as:
نَعَم “yes”, the Arabic name نور“Nour”, and أنا “I”.
Today, we’ll make sure you know all the details about the letter Noon: its pronunciation, its different shapes and positions in Arabic words, and some interesting examples to help you recognize it in words and sentences.
Letter Noon Pronunciation
Just like the English letter N, the Arabic Noon sound is pronounced pretty much the same way. It’s found in words like “no,” “name,” and “noon,” etc. It is a clear, nasal sound produced by placing the tip of the tongue on the gum ridge behind the upper front teeth.
How to Write the Letter Noon
The letter ن changes shape depending on its position in a word. Let’s begin by learning how to write each form, with examples.
Isolated
Initial
Medial
Final
ن
نـ
ـنـ
ـن
Arabic Words with the Letter Noon
Now, let’s look at some common words that have the letter Meem in different positions.
Letter Noon in Initial Position
We have the initial form at the beginning of a word, and it connects to the letter after it. Remember that we start writing the letter from right to left.
Draw a small curve with a dot above, followed by a connecting tail. Let’s see some examples with the letter ن at the beginning.
Bee
naḥla
نَحْلَة
A bee landed on the flowers.
waqafat naḥlatun ʿalā al-azhār
وَقَفَتْ نَحْلَةٌ عَلَى الأَزْهَار.
Carpenter
najjār
نَجَّار
This is a skilled carpenter.
hādhā najjārun māhirun
هَذَا نَجَّارٌ مَاهِرٌ
Star
najma
نَجْمَة
I saw a big star in the sky.
raʾaytu najmatan kabīratan fī as-samāʾ
رَأَيْتُ نَجْمَةً كَبِيرَةً فِي السَّمَاء
River
nahr
نَهْر
The children are playing on the riverbank.
yalʿabu al-aṭfāl ʿalā ḍiffat an-nahr
يَلْعَبُ الأَطْفَالُ عَلَى ضِفَّةِ النَّهْر
Sleeping
nawm
نَوْم
Regular sleep is important for health.
an-nawmu al-muntazim muhimm liṣ-ṣiḥḥah
النَّوْمُ المُنْتَظَمُ مُهِمٌّ لِلصِّحَّة
Letter Noon in Medial Position
Draw a short horizontal line, then a small curve connecting from the right and extending to the left, and don’t forget the dot above the shape, as it is very important to identify the letter and helps you tell this letter apart from letters like letter ت and letter ث.
Grapes
ʿinab
عِنَب
I bought grapes from the market.
ishtaraytu al-ʿinaba mina as-sūq
اِشْتَرَيْتُ العِنَبَ مِنَ السُّوق
House
manzil
مَنْزِل
I live in a big house.
askunu fī manzilin kabīrin
أَسْكُنُ فِي مَنْزِلٍ كَبِيرٍ
Squirrel
sinjāb
سِنْجَاب
The squirrel jumps on the tree.
yaqfizu as-sinjābu ʿalā ash-shajarah
يَقْفِزُ السِّنْجَابُ عَلَى الشَّجَرَة
Hazelnuts
bunduq
بُنْدُق
I like chocolate with hazelnuts.
uḥibbu ash-shūkūla bil-bunduq
أُحِبُّ الشُّوكُولَا بِالْبُنْدُق
City
madīna
مَدِينَة
I live in a beautiful city.
Askunu fī madīnatin jamīlah.
أَسْكُنُ فِي مَدِينَةٍ جَمِيلَةٍ
Note
The medial form of the letter ن can also have the same shape as the initial form when it is preceded by letters such as ر، ز، د، ذ, as you can see in the following words:
rabbit
ʾarnab
أرنَب
tail
dhanab
ذَنَب
lily
zanbaq
زَنْبَق
Letter Noon in Final Position
This form can be isolated (ن) or connected to the previous letter (ـن).
- Isolated Form: The isolated shape appears when the letter stands alone, preceded by letters such as ر، ز، د، ذmeaning it is not connected to any letters before or after it.
Start from the right. Draw a half-circle, resembling a small, bowl-shaped curve that opens upward.
The right side of the curve is usually slightly higher than the left, and the bottom of the curve is rounded, not sharp. Finally, add the dot above the letter.
- Connected Form: For the final connected form of letter Noon, start from the connection point with the previous letter. Draw a short horizontal line that curves slightly upward or downward (both are common in handwriting). Then curve the stroke gently downward and back up, forming a small, smooth tail at the end. The shape should remain open and rounded. Add one dot above the letter.
Olive
zaytūn
زَيْتُون
The farmers planted olive trees.
zaraʿa al-fallāḥūna az-zaytūn
زَرَعَ الفَلَّاحُونَ الزَّيْتُون
Milk/Yogurt
laban
لَبَن
The cat drank the milk.
sharibat al-qiṭṭah al-laban
شَرِبَتِ القِطَّةُ اللَّبَن
Knife
sikkīn
سِكِّين
Do not play with the knife.
lā talʿab bi-s-sikkīn
لا تَلْعَبْ بِالسِّكِّين
Teeth
asnān
أَسْنَان
Brush your teeth twice a day.
ighsil asnānaka marratayn yawmiyyan
اِغْسِلْ أَسْنَانَكَ مَرَّتَيْنِ يَوْمِيًّا
Horse
ḥiṣān
حِصَان
The horse lives on the farm.
Yaʿīshu al-ḥiṣānu fī al-mazraʿah.
يَعِيشُ الحِصَانُ فِي المَزْرَعَةِ
Review The Arabic Alphabet: Letter Noon (ن)
Noon as a Hidden Sound (Tanwīn) :
Did you know that you may hear a noon sound in a word even though the letter Noon (ن) is not written?
This is called Tanwīn in Arabic. It adds an “n” sound at the end of a noun or adjective, usually indicated by doubling one of the short vowels (fatḥa, kasra, or ḍamma). Tanwīn is often used with indefinite nouns, showing that the noun is not specific.
When you see double vowels at the end of a word (ــً، ــٍ، ــٌ), think of a hidden Nūn sound; this is Tanwīn. Pronounce it clearly to sound natural in Arabic.
Can you find the hidden Nūn in the following sentences?
I bought a useful book
Ishtaraytu kitāban mufīdan
اشتَرَيتُ كِتَابًا مُفِيدًا
This is a new pen.
Hādhā qalamun jadīdun
هَذَا قَلَمٌ جَدِيدٌ
I gave a book to a hardworking student.
ʾAʿṭaytu kitāban li-ṭālibin mujtahidin
أعطَيتُ كِتَابًا لِطَالبٍ مُجتَهِدٍ
Final word
We’ve reached the end of today’s lesson. As you’ve seen, every letter in Arabic matters.
Learning letter Noon in detail, its pronunciation, shapes, and how it appears in different positions in words, is an important step in building your reading and writing skills in Arabic.
And don’t forget, a little practice every day goes a long way. Spot the letters in words, read aloud, write them, and use them in sentences.
To keep learning and practicing more letters, words, and interactive exercises, download the AlifBee App today. You can start with a free 14-day trial and explore all the resources designed to make learning Arabic fun and easy.
